the ivory child-第68章

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exactly　just　where　I　began　to　lie　and　just　where　I　stopped　from　lying。

Still　he　did　not　scold　me；　Baas；　indeed；　when　I　had　finished；　he　said：



〃'Well　done；　O　good　and　faithful　servant；'　words　that　I　think　I　have

heard　him　use　before　when　he　was　alive；　Baas；　and　used　to　preach　to　us

for　such　a　long　time　on　Sunday　afternoons。　Then　he　asked：　'And　how

goes　it　with　Baas　Allan；　my　son；　now；　Hans？'　to　which　I　replied：



〃'The　Baas　Allan　is　going　to　fight　a　very　great　battle　in　which　he　may

well　fall；　and　if　I　could　feel　sorry　here；　which　I　can't；　I　should

weep；　O　reverend　sir；　because　I　have　died　before　that　battle　began　and

therefore　cannot　stand　at　his　side　in　the　battle　and　be　killed　for　him

as　a　servant　should　for　his　master！'



〃'You　will　stand　at　his　side　in　the　battle；'　said　your　＇missing　line

in　printed　versionJB＇　do　as　it　is　fitting　that　you　should。　And

afterwards；　Hans；　you　will　make　report　to　me　of　how　the　battle　went

and　of　what　honour　my　son　has　won　therein。　Moreover；　know　this；　Hans；

that　though　while　you　live　in　the　world　you　seem　to　see　many　other

things；　they　are　but　dreams；　since　in　all　the　world　there　is　but　one

real　thing；　and　its　name　is　Love；　which　if　it　be　but　strong　enough；

the　stars　themselves　must　obey；　for　it　is　the　king　of　every　one　of

them；　and　all　who　dwell　in　them　worship　it　day　and　night　under　many

names　for　ever　and　for　ever；　Amen。'



〃What　he　meant　by　that　I　am　sure　I　don't　know；　Baas；　seeing　that　I

have　never　thought　much　of　women；　at　least　not　for　many　years　since　my

last　old　vrouw　went　and　drank　herself　to　death　after　lying　in　her

sleep　on　the　baby　which　I　loved　much　better　than　I　did　her；　Baas。



〃Well；　before　I　could　ask　him；　or　about　hell　either；　he　was　gone　like

a　whiff　of　smoke　from　a　rifle　mouth　in　a　strong　wind。〃



Hans　paused；　puffed　at　his　pipe；　spat　upon　the　ground　in　his　usual

reflective　way　and　asked：



〃Is　the　Baas　tired　of　the　dream　or　would　he　like　to　hear　the　rest？〃



〃I　should　like　to　hear　the　rest；〃　I　said　in　a　low　voice；　for　I　was

strangely　moved。



〃Well；　Baas；　while　I　was　standing　in　that　place　which　was　so　full　of

quiet；　turning　my　hat　in　my　hands　and　wondering　what　work　they　would

set　me　to　there　among　the　devils；　I　looked　up。　There　I　saw　coming

towards　me　two　very　beautiful　women；　Baas；　who　had　their　arms　round

each　other's　necks。　They　were　dressed　in　white；　with　the　little　hard

things　that　are　found　in　shells　hanging　about　them；　and　bright　stones

in　their　hair。　And　as　they　came；　Baas；　wherever　they　set　a　foot

flowers　sprang　up；　very　pretty　flowers；　so　that　all　their　path　across

the　quiet　place　was　marked　with　flowers。　Birds　too　sang　as　they

passed；　at　least　I　think　they　were　birds　though　I　could　not　see　them。〃



〃What　were　they　like；　Hans？〃　I　whispered。



〃One　of　them；　Baas；　the　taller　I　did　not　know。　But　the　other　I　knew

well　enough；　it　was　she　whose　name　is　holy；　not　to　be　mentioned。　Yet　I

must　mention　that　name；　it　was　the　Missie　Marie　herself　as　last　we　saw

her　alive　many；　many　years　ago；　only　grown　a　hundred　times　more

beautiful。〃＇*＇



＇*＇　See　the　book　called　/Marie/　by　H。　Rider　Haggard。



Now　I　groaned；　and　Hans　went　on：



〃The　two　White　Ones　came　up　to　me；　and　stood　looking　at　me　with　eyes

that　were　more　soft　than　those　of　bucks。　Then　the　Missie　Marie　said　to

the　other：　'This　is　Hans　of　whom　I　have　so　often　told　you；　O　Star。'〃



Here　I　groaned　again；　for　how　did　this　Hottentot　know　that　name；　or

rather　its　sweet　rendering？



〃Then　she　who　was　called　Star　asked；　'How　goes　it　with　one　who　is　the

heart　of　all　three　of　us；　O　Hans？'　Yes；　Baas；　those　Shining　Ones

joined　/me/；　the　dirty　little　Hottentot　in　my　old　clothes　and　smelling

of　tobacco；　with　themselves　when　they　spoke　of　you；　for　I　knew　they

were　speaking　of　you；　Baas；　which　made　me　think　I　must　be　drunk；　even

there　in　the　quiet　place。　So　I　told　them　all　that　I　had　told　your

reverend　father；　and　a　very　great　deal　more；　for　they　seemed　never　to

be　tired　of　listening。　And　once；　when　I　mentioned　that　sometimes；

while　pretending　to　be　asleep；　I　had　heard　you　praying　aloud　at　night

for　the　Missie　Marie　who　died　for　you；　and　for　another　who　had　been

your　wife　whose　name　I　did　not　remember　but　who　had　also　died；　they

both　cried　a　little；　Baas。　Their　tears　shone　like　crystals　and　smelt

like　that　stuff　in　a　little　glass　tube　which　Har？t　said　that　he

brought　from　some　far　land　when　he　put　a　drop　or　two　on　your

handkerchief；　after　you　were　faint　from　the　pain　in　your　leg　at　the

house　yonder。　Or　perhaps　it　was　the　flowers　that　smelt；　for　where　the

tears　fell　there　sprang　up　white　lilies　shaped　like　two　babes'　hands

held　together　in　prayer。〃



Hearing　this；　I　hid　my　face　in　my　hands　lest　Hans　should　see　human

tears　unscented　with　attar　of　roses；　and　bade　him　continue。



〃Baas；　the　White　One　who　was　called　Star；　asked　me　of　your　son；　the

young　Baas　Harry；　and　I　told　her　that　when　last　I　had　seen　him　he　was

strong　and　well　and　would　make　a　bigger　man　than　you　were；　whereat　she

sighed　and　shook　her　head。　Then　the　Missie　Marie　said：　'Tell　the　Baas；

Hans；　that　I　also　have　a　child　which　he　will　see　one　day；　but　it　is

not　a　son。'



〃After　this　they；　too；　said　something　about　Love；　but　what　it　was　I

cannot　remember；　since　even　as　I　repeat　this　dream　to　you　it　is

beginning　to　slip　away　from　me　fast　as　a　swallow　skimming　the　water。

Their　last　words；　however；　I　do　remember。　They　were：　'Say　to　the　Baas

that　we　who　never　met　in　life；　but　who　here　are　as　twin　sisters；　wait

and　count　the　years　and　count　the　months　and　count　the　days　and　count

the　hours　and　count　the　minutes　and　count　the　seconds　until　once　more

he　shall　hear　our　voices　calling　to　him　across　the　night。'　That's　what

they　say；　Baas。　Then　they　were　gone　and　only　the　flowers　remained　to

show　that　they　had　been　standing　there。



〃Now　I　set　off　to　bring　you　the　message　and　travelled　a　very　long　way

at　a　great　rate；　if　Jana　himself　had　been　after　me　I　could　not　have

gone　more　fast。　At　last　I　got　out　of　that　quiet　place　and　among

mountains　where　there　were　dark　kloofs；　and　there　in　the　kloofs　I

heard　Zulu　impis　singing　their　war…song；　yes；　they　sang　the　/ingoma/

or　something　very　like　it。　Now　suddenly　in　the　pass　of　the　mountains

along　which　I　sped；　there　appeared　before　me　a　very　beautiful　woman

whose　skin　shone　like　the　best　copper　coffee　kettle　after　I　have

polished　it；　Baas。　She　was　dressed　in　a　leopard…like　moocha　and　wore

on　her　shoulders　a　fur　kaross；　and　about　her　neck　a　circlet　of　blue

beads；　and　from　her　hair　there　rose　one　crane's　feather　tall　as　a

walking…stick；　and　in　her　hand　she　held　a　little　spear。　No　flowers

sprang　beneath　her　feet　when　she　walked　towards　me　and　no　birds　sang；

only　the　air　was　filled　with　the　sound　of　a　royal　salute　which　rolled

among　the　mountains　like　the　roar　of　thunder；　and　her　eyes　flashed

like　summer　lightning。〃



Now　I　let　my　hands　fall　and　stared　at　him；　for　well　I　knew　what　was

coming。



〃'Stand；　yellow　man！'　she　said；　'and　give　me　the　royal　salute。'



〃So　I　gave　her　the　/Bayéte/；　though　who　she　might　be　I　did　not　know；

since　I　did　not　think　it　wise　to　stay　to　ask　her　if　it　were　hers　of

right；　although　I　should　have　liked　to　do　so。　Then　she　said：　'The　Old

Man　on　the　plain　yonder　and　those　two　pale　White　Ones　have　talked　to

you　of　their　love　for　your　master；　the　Lord　Macumazana。　I　tell　you；

little　Yellow　Dog；　that　they　do　not　know　what　love　can　be。　There　is

more　love　for　him　in　my　eyes　alone　than　they　have　in　all　that　makes

them　fair。　Say　it　to　the　Lord　Macumazana　that；　as　I　know　well；　he　goes

down　to　battle　and　that　the　Lady　Mameena　will　be　with　him　in　the

battle　as；　though　he　saw　her　not；　she　has　been　with　him　in　other

battles；　and　will　be　with　him　till　the　River　of　Time　has　run　over　the

edge　of　the　world　and　is　lost　beyond　the　sun。　Let　him　remember　this

when　Jana　rushes　on　and　death　is　very　near　to　him　to…day；　and　let　him

lookfor　then　p